Tea & Treachery. Vicki Delany

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СКАЧАТЬ grounds. I stood at the edge of the bluffs, and leaned on the fence protecting walkers from the sharp drop-off. I breathed the sea air and felt the soft, salty wind caress my face, while Éclair ran in circles, sniffing at the ground. I could think of no better place to start the day. Whenever I began to regret leaving Manhattan, I came here, stood still, and simply breathed.

      “Good morning. Hope I’m not disturbing you.” I turned to see Simon McCracken coming toward me, dressed in brown overalls, a white T-shirt, and high-laced brown boots. The wind ruffled his hair, a pale lock fell over his forehead, and he was smiling broadly. “Beautiful day.”

      “You’re not disturbing me,” I said. “When I can, I like to take a moment on my way to work to admire my surroundings. I’m happy to share the view with anyone who appreciates it.”

      “This high up, it must be one of the best views along the coast.”

      “It is.”

      Éclair sniffed at his boots, and he bent over to give her a hearty pat. “Nice dog. My parents are looking after my two chocolate Labs while I’m away. I miss them a lot. What’s this lady’s name?”

      “Éclair.”

      He laughed as he straightened up. “I should have guessed. She looks like one with that coloring.”

      I didn’t tell him I hadn’t named her. I inherited the dog from a roommate, also a pastry chef. My roommate went to Los Angeles on vacation, got a job, fell in love, and never came back to Manhattan. She asked me to pack up her clothes and mail them to her. I considered sticking a stamp on the dog’s nose and sending her by the US Postal Service, but that didn’t seem terribly practical. Rather than search for another roommate, I decided to rent a smaller place, and I intended to find another home for the dog. But somehow, slowly, she worked her wiles on me and wormed her way into my affections, and we’d been together ever since. My mother told me I was insane to keep a dog in Manhattan but, as usual, if my mother said it, I had to do the opposite.

      Which, come to think of it, was part of the reason I was here in Cape Cod, in business with Rose.

      “Come into the kitchen,” I said to Simon, “and I’ll get you the key to the garden shed. Everything you need should be in there. If you have to buy anything, keep the receipts and we’ll reimburse you. Gerry had me save coffee grounds and used tea leaves from the tearoom for him to use in the garden.”

      “I’ll take them, too. Plants love them. Plus any kitchen scraps I can use for compost.”

      “In exchange, if you can bring us fresh flowers in the morning to put on the tables, I’d appreciate it. Don’t decimate the plants. Just cut any extras they can spare.”

      “It’s a deal,” he said.

      “One more thing. You’re welcome to pop into the kitchen here and make yourself a tea or coffee at any time. The doors are only locked at night.”

      “Thanks, Lily. I know I’m going to enjoy working here. If you don’t mind my saying, that looks dangerous.” He pointed to the steep staircase leading down to the beach. Some of the boards were cracked or tilting ominously, and the railing had come unfastened in places. A few steps were missing altogether. The gate at the top of the steps rattled on its rusty hinges.

      “I know. It’s but another thing we need to get done. Gerry was supposed to fix it. He’d been saying for months he’d get around to it. He never did.”

      “I saw kids playing near here yesterday, when I was poking around. You don’t want any accidents. I’ll do it this weekend if you want. I can fix the gate for a start.”

      “That would be marvelous. Thank you.” The last thing we needed was a lawsuit. Another lawsuit, I should say.

      I smiled at him. He smiled at me.

      “Good morning!” Two women crossed the lawn, heading for the stairs. They were dressed in khaki shorts and sturdy shoes, with binoculars around their necks and hiking poles in each hand. They walked with firm, determined strides and looked as cheerful as only people on vacation could. They unlatched the gate, stepped through it, and carefully closed it behind them.

      “Careful on the stairs,” I called after them.

      “Let’s get that key, shall we?” Simon said.

      * * *

      By six thirty, I had two types of muffins in the oven—banana chocolate chip for the children and bran and walnut for the adults—and sausages sizzling on the stove. I was grating cheese for the herb and red pepper frittata, which would be an optional extra this morning, when the kitchen door opened.

      “Spot on time,” I said. “First, lay out the cereal with milk and the pots of yogurt in the dining room in case anyone comes down early, and then start cutting the fruit for the salad.”

      “I know what to do, Lily,” Edna said.

      I turned around. “Oh. Good morning. I wasn’t expecting you today.”

      “Why not?”

      “Because last night you were fired and then you quit. Or did you quit and then were fired? I forget the exact order of events.”

      She shrugged and took her apron down from the hook. “Life goes on. Rose says things she sometimes doesn’t mean. I have to admit that I do, too, on occasion.”

      “I’m glad you’re here. Before you start, something upsetting happened last night I’d like to ask you about. Did your husband show Jack Ford the letter Rose sent to the paper?”

      She twisted her mouth into a moue of disapproval and took the cheese grater and the cheese from me. I started cracking eggs.

      “I assume by your question that someone did,” she said. “I can assure you it was not Frank. He wouldn’t have done that, particularly if he didn’t intend to print the letter, but he has a summer intern working at the paper, and I don’t approve of her. She’s far too ambitious and far too impulsive. I wouldn’t put it past her to have sent Rose’s email to Jack, hoping for a reaction.”

      “She got one. Why does your husband keep her on if she’s not working out?”

      “One, she’s free. And two, she’s our niece. Frank’s brother’s daughter Ilana.”

      “Oh.”

      “Oh is right. Ilana intends to be the next Rachel Maddow. Frank’s too kindhearted to fire her. I hope he does if he finds out she did what you think she did.”

      “Jack has filed papers to sue Rose over that letter.”

      “Sorry I’m late.” Bernie burst into the room. She wore a calf-length black dress with long sleeves and a stiff white collar, thick black stockings, and black flats. She’d tied her mane of curls into a severe bun at the back of her head, removed all the hoops from her ears, and her face was clear of makeup. “Hi. I thought you were fired?”

      “I unfired myself,” Edna said.

      “Why are you dressed like that?” I asked.

      Bernie held out her arms and twirled around. “Like СКАЧАТЬ